My read of the political tea leaves is that the future does not look good for public/open blockchains under Trump. It is likely that "Blockchain" in general will continue to spearhead the fintech revolution, but with the primary goal of reducing costs for the dominant intermediaries. From the point of view of policy, regulation and enforcement, however, private/closed blockchains will continue to be favored over public/open blockchains. The expectation of a regulatory sandbox in the US is naive. Only the well-funded and well-managed companies will be able to comply with the onerous consumer protection, safety and soundness and anti-crime requirements that the US will impose on participating entities. Fintech innovation will be easier elsewhere than in the United States, as long as the innovators don't touch the USD or serve US consumers or investors. And let's get prepared for the new administration stepping up the war against terrorism, which will put pressure on public/open blockchains to incorporate increasingly restrictive safeguards.

My read of the political tea leaves is that the future does not look good for public/open blockchains under Trump. It is likely that "Blockchain" in general will continue to spearhead the fintech revolution, but with the primary goal of reducing costs for the dominant intermediaries. From the point of view of policy, regulation and enforcement, however, private/closed blockchains will continue to be favored over public/open blockchains. The expectation of a regulatory sandbox in the US is naive. Only the well-funded and well-managed companies will be able to comply with the onerous consumer protection, safety and soundness and anti-crime requirements that the US will impose on participating entities. Fintech innovation will be easier elsewhere than in the United States, as long as the innovators don't touch the USD or serve US consumers or investors. And let's get prepared for the new administration stepping up the war against terrorism, which will put pressure on public/open blockchains to incorporate increasingly restrictive safeguards.